You Never Know (Harry Styles)

Ch 3: "Don't let go."

Nicole's POV

Harry flashes me his cheeky grin, but I can see a hint of something else behind it. Something about the way his eyes dart around nervously tells me he isn't genuinely happy.

Kendall is sitting on the couch next to the warm fire on her phone. She hasn't looked up from it yet.

Harry glances at Kendall for half a second, and then he invites Heather and I to sit on the couch across from Kendall while he gets the hot chocolate. Heather and I take a seat as Harry heads towards the small cafe in the lodge.

Kendall looks up and puts her phone down on the chestnut table in front of us. Instagram is illuminated on her phone.

"Hi, I'm Kendall."

"I'm Nicole and this is Heather," I reply.

She gives us a fake smile and gets up to go by Harry.

"I cannot believe this is happening," I whisper. "Keep calm, okay? You’re doing a good job."

"Yeah, you too.” She takes a deep breath.

Harry and Kendall return seconds later with three hot chocolates and one huge, unidentifiable drink that Kendall takes and begins to sip.

"Thank you," I say to Harry as he hands the steaming drink to me.

As he gives Heather her drink, I realize that he is not looking at her, but at me. I give him a shy smile, but his gaze does not break from mine. His dark green eyes are almost hypnotizing.

"So, do you two live around here?" I can't stop staring at him, and he hasn't stopped staring at me either.

"Actually, we live all the way in Chicago. Heather used to live here, so we visit a lot," I reply, studying how his hair curls around his face.

"HARRY WILL YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER?" Heather blurts out.

Oh God.

Kendall grabs her phone again.

Really Heather?

"Of course," he grins. "What's your username?"

I want him to follow me on twitter, too, but I don't have the guts to be as straight forward as Heather.

"Harry Styles followed you" appears on Heather's phone.

"Thank you so much Harry!" she squeals.

Harry glances up at me with his gorgeous green eyes and says "and you?"

My entire body tingles with goosebumps, and I feel butterflies swirling in my stomach.

"NicoleEverlyy with two Y's," I tell him.

"Thank you, love," he replies.

Love.

He called me love.

I see Heather holding in her laugh from the corner of my eye. She knows that I am freaking out.

Love.

I see Winston smiling at me from across the room as well.

Am I blushing?

"Are you girls coming to the concert in Chicago?" Harry asks.

“Of course!” Heather answers. “August 30th.”

“That’s great!” Harry responds.

"I want to have your children," Heather quietly says, but not quietly enough.

Harry laughs as I place my hand over my eyes. I can't stop from laughing, either. When I remove my hand from my face, he is smiling at me, his dimples popping out of his cheeks.

Our gaze is broken when a swarm of paparazzi storms into the little room.

Great.

Harry and Kendall stand up. I grab Heather's hand, and Harry takes mine. Kendall grabs onto Harry's red and black plaid jacket and starts pulling him towards the door, dragging Heather and I with them.

"Kendall! Are you and Harry dating?" a paparazzi screams.

"Hendall!" another one.

There are dozens of cameras flashing three inches from my face. I can barely see anything.

"It's going to be alright," Harry assures me. "This happens all the time. Just don't let go, okay?"

"Okay," I say.

It takes me a moment to realize that I am holding Harry Styles' hand.

Kendall opens the door, only to discover that there is a huge crowd of paparazzi waiting outside. She starts going down the front steps, stringing us along through the crowd.

I step onto the first stair, and almost lose my balance.

Don't let go. I remind myself.

Harry squeezes my hand a bit tighter.

I try to find the next step, but all I can see are blinding lights above me.

All of a sudden, a pap runs into me, knocking me over.

And all I remember is that Harry's hand was no longer in mine.

----------------

Harry's POV

I hold my face in my hands as I wait alone outside the hospital room. Kendall is downstairs getting her chauffeur to come and pick us up.

When the paparazzi came barging into the lobby, something made my body immediately lift from the couch and grab Nicole. It was as if I was her guardian and I had to protect her from them.

Too bad I failed.

She is in that room, the room that I cannot enter, and she is unconscious. It is all my fault.

Heather somehow convinced the doctors to let her inside the room. I'm not sure how because no matter how many times I begged the nurse at the desk to let me in, she shut me down.

Kendall enters through the elevator and nods her head, indicating that her chauffeur has arrived. Knowing that I cannot argue, I reluctantly get out of the seat and walk into the elevator.

The doors slowly shut, and I immediately regret leaving.